Suspect Claims Inside Job; Police Interview Clerk in Winlock Armed Robbery

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A suspect in a Winlock armed robbery was charged Monday in Lewis County Superior Court with second-degree robbery and second-degree burglary for allegedly stealing more than $1,500 from a store at gunpoint last week.

The suspect, Tamrick A. Torres, 45, of Winlock, was booked into the Lewis County Jail Friday evening on suspicion of second-degree robbery. He is being held on $25,000 bail.

“This, as the prosecutor indicated, is a violent offense,” Lawler said. “There’s allegations there was a firearm involved in this.”

While Torres was charged with allegedly robbing a store clerk of the money, he told investigators he and the clerk were in on the theft together, according to court documents, saying the clerk was unhappy with the amount of money she made at the store.

The clerk reportedly denied her involvement, according to court documents.

At 10:29 p.m. Sept. 6, police received a report of a robbery at the Handi Store on Northwest Kerron Avenue in Winlock.

The suspect, described as a person wearing a ski mask that looked like a skull and dark clothing, allegedly brandished a gun and demanded money from the cashier.

The clerk told police the suspect demanded money and reached toward his waistband, where she saw the handle of a gun, according to court documents.

The suspect was caught on video surveillance, but was not immediately identified.

However, the owner of the store reviewed the video and told police he believed he recognized the way the suspect walked, and thought he might know who the man was. The store owner later saw what he knew to be the suspect’s vehicle on surveillance footage, according to court documents.

Sgt. Sam Patrick, of the Toledo Police Department, told The Chronicle last week that Toledo police officers Steve Dawes and Andrew Scrivner, who led the investigation, served a warrant Friday afternoon at Torres’ residence and arrested him at about 4:30 p.m., Patrick said. Police found evidence pertaining to the robbery while serving the warrant, including the clothing he appeared to be wearing during the apparent robbery, he said.

The Washington State Patrol, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and Napavine Police Department also responded the night of the robbery, Patrick said. The Sheriff’s Office provided a K9 unit to efforts to find a suspect.